January 2021 rustlernews.com
05 MOORE UNMASKS IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON LEADERS Hear the full Taylor Willmarth exclusive interview with Superintendent Tom Moore only on Stampede Speaks. Log on to rustlernews.com for access to podcasts, videos, and special stories. by Taylor Willmarth, video and audio editor
Moore: I think that for my entire career, the challenges
that I have faced in my previous work and in this school district don’t even come close to what we’ve had to deal with here. It’s at times a little daunting in terms of [determining] how you bring together the resources and the people to make really good decisions when there’s no playbook or experience in this arena. Willmarth: You’re writing the playbook? Moore: Exactly. In that regard, I feel blessed, actually, to be working with a team of individuals with the wisdom to be able to think on their feet and prepare quickly for different scenarios that unfold. I mean, we have to be pivoting almost daily. And then sometimes, we almost have to be careful not to pivot too quickly and make decisions too rapidly. Sometimes people are wanting us to let them know or to make decisions right now, when the prudent thing to do is gather more information and more input, and then make decisions. Willmarth: It’s a balancing act. Moore: It’s a balance. Sometimes you have to make an immediate decision. Sometimes it’s prudent to take a little more time and let things play out a bit and develop. Because of the team of people I have to work with, and the fact that I had been with the district for 12 years prior to assuming this role, and I have developed relationships with those people, it helps a lot. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to come in two years ago as the superintendent from somewhere else and not have those established relationships, both here in the school district and in the larger community. A lot of my community
“It’s almost surreal. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be leading a school district under these circumstances.”
connections are of great value to me, and are able to lead and manage the challenges of this particular era. Willmarth: This is a tough but necessary question. When you look at the district as a whole, would you say that the COVID-19 response has been a success? Moore: I’m going to take your question and cut it into a couple of pieces. Last spring on March 15, we had some administrators on our district team that were forecasting school closure. They were advising me and preparing for what they believed would be the eventual closure of our schools. And so we are up here on I believe it was Sunday, March 15th at the district office with all of our school leaders. I think we started at like 11 o’clock in the morning. We had every principal and Associate principal and we were strategizing what we’re going to do, and how we’re going to manage each of these different things. At about five o’clock that afternoon, we got a call from the governor’s office closing schools. Willmarth: It was an incredibly quick turn around. Moore: Yes. I went up and talked with a teacher at your high school after we got back from [the two week closure over Thanksgiving break], and I asked out of curiosity what percentage of [his] students were disengaged during that two weeks. He said about thirty to thirty three percent. I think at least that many were disengaged last spring for Photo: Superintendent Tom Moore accepted nine weeks. That’s concerning to me. So, were we a two-year contract in 2019, replacing longsuccessful in engaging students in remote learning time administrator Tammy Lacey. on the drop of a dime? No, we were not. Are we better at it today than we were then? I hope so.
LIGHT ON COUNSELING DURING THE PANDEMIC
by Kerrigan Edwards, editor in chief The mental toll that the coronavirus and new remote learning A positive addition to the counseling department this year has options have had on students is very prominent for counselor assisted Light and other counselors tremendously. “We were Brittany Light. “I think being in school is the best learning lucky enough to hire Mrs. Pace at the end of the summer, so environment. I think a common theme of student struggle this we all shifted some students. This actually lowered everyone’s year is lacking motivation. I feel like I talk to at least one student caseload a bit, which was much needed as our student to a day who has just lost motivation, and I can counselor ratio was fairly high,” said Light. Having totally empathize with that,” Light said. To keep another person on this staff allows for completing “I want students to in touch with her students, and make sure that other tasks and assists in complicated endeavors they are doing well in their personal lives, Light as testing. know that I am there such reaches out. “I want students to know that I Reflecting on what impact Coronavirus has had am there for them, though sometimes not on students, Light says, “Students are struggling for them, though physically there,” she said. academically and personally right now, and I would sometimes not To prepare for the reopening of the Great say there is a large increase in student needs at this Falls Public School district, Light had to take time. I would say the most common themes I see physically there.” on a variety of new responsibilities. “My job are motivation, signs of depression, and academic demands shifted over the summer when we challenges.” Light has not been a stranger to what were wrapping our minds around what block scheduling would COVID-19 has caused for her from a professional standpoint look like as well as creating schedules for fully remote learners,” as well. “Professionally, it has completely disrupted the way said Light. Like everyone else, Light”s job requirements have we think about education and instruction. I don’t think that changed slightly to accommodate this year’s unexpected turn. disruption is all negative. I think sometimes it takes something “During the school year, there have been some adjustments harsh like that for people to step back and really reconsider and growing pains, but the changes in my position are minimal, why/how we do the things we do and question if we could do compared to the exponentially increased challenges and changes better or be more efficient and effective.” Light said. for teachers,” Light said.
